The Saga of Garth
Writer: Don Freeman
Artist: Stephen Dowling & John Allard
Published: 22nd January 1946 – 20th July 1946 (E18 – E171)
Number of Episodes: 154
In this last phase of his trance, Garth relives his earliest years in the present.
Shipwrecked off the island of Thule, the baby Garth is washed ashore in a crib with a strangely inscribed sword. He is adopted by Ragnar, leader of a community descended from Vikings, and his wife Thora. With his great strength of mind and body as he matures, Garth seems destined to succeed Ragnar as leader.
Ragnar’s renegade brother, Sven, leads a gang who loot wrecks washed up on the isle. Enraged to discover his daughter Gerda plans to marry Garth, Sven tries to shoot him. Seeing his action, Gerda runs to warn Garth – straight into the line of fire.
Garth kills Sven in retribution, and buries Gerda where she died, along with the sword found in his crib.
• Previous: The Seven Ages of Garth | Next: The Awakening of Garth
Synopsis by Philip Harbottle
• Garth – Strip Checklist – Part One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight (Garth Reprints)
• A Tribute to Garth Artist and Editor John Allard by Philip Harbottle
In a feature encompassing the entire history of the much-loved strip, Garth writer Philip Harbottle pays tribute to artist and editor John Allard, who worked at the Mirror for over 50 years, outlining his huge contribution to Garth‘s enduring success
Strip dates given are those of their original appearance in the British newspaper the Daily Mirror, first compiled by Geoffrey Wren and Ann Holmes and updated by Ant Jones and Philip Harbottle
Garth © REACH/ Daily Mirror
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.